The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-05-25
COTTON SEED.
A Great, Growing ana IL ontable ndustr y

~ NASSS, IL Al luVdDl6 luuuSUC Y
For nearly Il century the South
crn farmers destroyed their cotton
seed. One Of the farm problems
was how to get rid Of IT.. A few
years ago somebody discovered
that cotton seed was the one per-
feet fertilizer for the cotton lands;
that the seed held the essential ell
cmcntS that the cotton seed took
from the soil. Then everybody
was ashamed Of having destroyed
the seed for So many Generations.
Slowly but surely every ton was
utilized rs fertilizer. Later some
body discovered that it was an X
cellcnt food for stock. Then the
the farmers began feeding with it.
Along in 1870 an objection was
found to cotton seed as Il fertilizer
and stock food. II was too rich.
The excess Of oil in tho seed pre-
vented decomposition in the soil,
and made the wool too kinky. At
the same time somebody discover
ed that the Objectionable OIL would
sell well in the market, so the first
cotton seed oil mill was established.
The industry vas Immensely prof
liable, and in less than five years 100
oil mills sprang up i'm the South.
~ ton of cotton seed yields forty
gallons OF oil, worth in its crude
stats $40. The hullS of the seed are
used asilcl to run the furnace, and
the ashes thereof sold for potash,
and cotton scad meal stripped of
Itr mi IL mara \-DlInl1n fn tI, g..
mer as Il fertilizer and stock food
than it was when it held the oil.
This as0 100000 tons OF cotton
seed have gone through the mills,
from which ~$5,00O,0O0 worth Of
crude oil have been taken. The
meal cake returned to the soil has
lost nothing, while the South has
gained %5,O0O,0OO. The crude oil
however is refined which quadru-
pies itc value. 1t is sold mostly
for export, and returns to America
us olive oil. The mills pay the far
mcr about $40 a ton for cotton seed,
three tons of which will make one
ton Of cotton meal, which they sell
back to the farmer for $lS for fer
tilizing or feed purposrs.
Now g the progress. Twenty
years ago cotton seed was burned
or destroyed oil Southern farms.
Then it began to be used as Il fertil-
izer or stock food. Last year 3d.
OaO,OOO worth Of crude oil was taken
out OF 100000 tons Of seed without
injuring its value for other purpos-
cs, which oil was refined up to IA
value of perhaps $2O,OO0,OGO
This enormous industry, which
as yet treats but 100000 tons out of
100000 tons of the full crop of cot
ton seed, has lately attracted the
attention Of Northern capitalists, it
is said, especially the Standard Oil
company, and Il remarkable com
pany has been formed. Last seas
son produced acid seed, very unfa-
vorabie for oil purposes. The mills,
which have been making immense
profits, lost money, Several Of
them applied to New York for mon
ey. Others were offered for sale.
The American Cotton Oil Trust
was organized. A score of mills
we're pooled, and agents of the com
Tany went to buying up until out
of the $50 oil mills in the country
the company owns about 1916. These
mills represent a cash value Of 3d.
100000. The stock Of the company
is $33, 100000. 1t is listed in the
New York Stock Exchange, and is
now selling at about 60, SO that the
$3,000,000 worth of mill property
now has a selling value Of $2l, OOO,-
O00.-EX.